Victoria and Albert Museum collection record, W.4-1991 URL: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/result.html Accessed: 10/17/2008 This Airline chair was commissioned for the Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, Los Angeles and made in 1939. Kem Weber was the architect of the building and the upholstery was chosen by the client. The name of the chair expressed the desire to associate the design with the most up-to-date development in modern industry. Throughout the 1930s, a number of experimental passenger flights were completed. The first transatlantic passenger service was held on 28th June, 1939 between New York and Marseilles, France. Weber sought to make a 'comfortable, hygienic and beautiful chair inexpensively'. The result featured a cantilevered seat and a knockdown design. The strength of the frame allowed the designer to dispense with the rear legs giving the sitter a more comfortable, resilient seat. The chair was easy to assemble; it came in a flat, square box relatively inexpensive for a manufacturer to store and ship. Although the Airline chair seemed destined for great commercial success, factory production of it never became a reality, despite extensive discussions between Weber and manny American manufacturers. Three hundred chairs were ordered by Walt Disney Studios for use in its projection rooms, lounges, and offices, but they were made by a local cabinetmaker rather than a major furniture producer.